Lawmaker representing Idemili North and South Federal Constituency of Anambra State, Hon. Uche Okonkwo, has called on the Nigerian government to urgently prioritize winning the war on hunger to save citizens and the continent from an “unimaginable disaster.”
Speaking against the backdrop of widespread protests against hunger, starvation and hardship across Nigeria by organized labour and civil society groups.
Okonkwo expressed deep concern that hunger has become the number one item on the country’s agenda.
“I’m increasingly worried that raw hunger has become the number one item of our national agenda discussions, with no hope of exiting that spot quickly in sight. I’m scared the situations are aggravating daily, which is not just sad, but deeply regrettable,” he said.
Okonkwo cautioned that hunger could invite anger and violence if not urgently addressed.
He passionately appealed to federal and state governments to “engage with citizens truthfully” and admit that “leadership failures” were becoming routine.
“We must admit humbly that when leadership failures become routine, anarchy will hover around as norm.
That must be addressed, hence the need for intentional solutions with despatch,” he stressed.
The lawmaker praised Nigerian youth for showing tolerance amidst the challenges and encouraged them to continue pushing for good governance and accountability.
He called on youth to help ramp up agricultural productivity to boost food security.
Okonkwo expressed optimism that Nigeria was ripe for greatness, especially with the spread of tech education amongst youth promoting creativity.
He noted that the tech revolution has become “the mother of instant access and the nemesis of secret darkness.”